Hibs are leading the UK in terms of game time for home grown players, according to new research.

The research, which covers 31 top flight leagues across Europe, shows that 30 per cent of minutes played by the Hibs squad are completed by “club-trained” players.

Steven Whittaker, Paul Hanlon, Ryan Porteous, Oli Shaw and Lewis Stevenson have all featured heavily for Hibs this season. Pictures: SNS Group

The CIES Football Observatory, based in Switzerland, states that a club-trained footballer is a player who has spent at least three seasons at the team between the ages of 15 and 21.

Long-serving defensive duo Paul Hanlon and Lewis Stevenson both progressed through the club’s Academy, while Steven Whittaker recently returned for a second spell at Easter Road after coming through the ranks as a teenager before stints at Rangers and Norwich City.